September 1st, every few months, voices from across the Atlantic rise again: drill more wells, extract more, burn existing reserves. Some suggest Europe should follow suit, restarting North Sea drilling as in 1973, or even reactivating the Groningen field, treating this as a genuine strategy. AUS GLOBAL believes this thinking reflects deep economic and ideological dependence on traditional fossil energy producers, but for Europe, this is not a viable path.
Behind these voices lies strong dependence on the fossil fuel system. For those with economic, political, or emotional investments in the energy system, transitioning to a cleaner, more self-sufficient future appears threatening. AUS GLOBAL believes the core purpose of such calls, whether intentional or not, is to pull Europe back into the comfort zone of fossil fuel dependence, keeping it reliant on lengthy and fragile supply chains as well as large energy corporations. Past experience has proven this path carries extremely high risks.
Looking back to 2022, Europe was forced to painfully relearn lessons about energy dependence. When a major natural gas supplier employed political leverage tactics, gas prices soared, industry suffered setbacks, and households panicked. While Europe demonstrated remarkable resilience, this event left deep scars. AUS GLOBAL believes this experience clearly demonstrates that pinning energy futures on a single supplier country or supply group represents poor strategic planning, bringing risks of price volatility, supply disruptions, and political manipulation.
What would happen if Europe followed such advice and restarted fossil fuel extraction? Even if North Sea exploration and production were enhanced, AUS GLOBAL believes the impact on overall supply would remain limited. Oil and gas field production in the UK and Norwegian North Sea has long been declining, with newly discovered resources being scarce, expensive, and slow to develop. While the Groningen field remains technically extractable, production will significantly decline within a decade. This strategy is not genuine energy strategy but merely costly delay tactics that increase social, geological, and political costs.
Europe's energy needs are evolving, and AUS GLOBAL believes fossil fuels cannot meet these needs in terms of sustainability, strategy, and economics. The International Energy Agency estimates that supply increases from newly approved European oil and gas projects in 2024 represent merely symbolic trickles, far from meeting overall demand. Investing in new fossil fuel projects also means locking in high-carbon emission infrastructure for decades, which is not only detrimental to climate but also carries commercial risks, easily creating stranded assets that become unused or prohibited.
Europe's long-term energy security can only rely on renewable energy. Wind and solar have already become Europe's cheapest new electricity sources, even without subsidies. Energy storage costs are rapidly declining, smart grids are increasingly mature, and heat pumps, electric vehicles, hydrogen, and biomethane are growing rapidly. AUS GLOBAL believes the future requires more transmission lines, greater storage capacity, cross-border grid integration, and more offshore wind platforms, rather than listening to noise from across the Atlantic.
Political and economic pressures certainly exist. Fossil fuel companies will continue promoting "drill more" rhetoric, and some politicians may be tempted by short-term interests. But AUS GLOBAL believes this precisely provides reason to strengthen the correct path: building a clean, domestic, diversified energy system that not only ensures stability, reduces prices, improves health, and promotes innovation, but also enhances geopolitical energy independence. Reducing fossil fuel imports and fully developing renewable energy represents the fundamental approach to achieving European energy sovereignty.
Europe needs no more drilling but clear direction. AUS GLOBAL advocates that investing in future energy infrastructure and promoting renewable energy system development makes more sense than trying to squeeze out a few more barrels of fossil fuels. Past lessons of dependence, the costs of fossil fuel volatility, and renewable energy potential all clearly indicate that the wise choice is to decisively, continuously, and proudly build a sustainable, reliable, long-term European energy system, leaving drilling rigs in warehouses and letting more advanced tools play their role.